Farukh Tahir

I searched everywhere for a programme that would bridge my self-taught technical skills with rigorous, world-class education in blockchain. When I discovered UNIC, I knew immediately this was different.

My journey to the MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency at the University of Nicosia is the story of a lifelong passion that refused to fade, even when life took unexpected turns.

From childhood, I was fascinated by computers and IT. After high school, a traditional computer science education seemed impossible due to limited university seats and concerns about college quality. Instead, I studied economics, accounting, and finance, eventually earning an MBA. But I never abandoned my passion for technology. Beginning in 2001, I taught myself to build websites and became a self-taught full-stack web developer. Even as my formal education moved through business and finance, I kept coding, driven by the belief that one day I would study computer science properly.

When I migrated to the UK and completed an MSc in Tourism, life became intensely demanding. As sole breadwinner for my family with two home-schooled children, I juggled work and building a new life. Yet even then, I continued developing technical skills. That childhood dream never faded. In 2022, I discovered the University of Nicosia’s free MOOC on Digital Currencies. The quality of instruction and clarity of complex concepts were unlike anything I’d encountered. For the first time, I saw a clear pathway connecting my self-taught background, my business education, and a cutting-edge formal programme in blockchain.

When I was awarded a scholarship, something shifted inside me. This wasn’t just financial assistance. It was validation that my unconventional, decades-long path toward computer science was real and worth investing in. One of my most important realisations was that blockchain at UNIC is far more than coding. The curriculum weaves together finance, economics, law, management, and computer science. Suddenly, all of my background made sense, my business studies, self-taught development skills, and experience as a migrant navigating new systems converged in unexpected ways.

Courses like Digital Currency, Blockchain Systems and Architectures, and Law and Regulation in Blockchain gave me a holistic understanding of blockchain not just as a technical problem, but as a transformative technology with economic, legal, and social dimensions. Achieving 80% in my final programming semester was deeply meaningful. As someone who had always wanted to study computer science but had been told it wasn’t for me, this grade proved that a self-taught developer, juggling work and family, could succeed in a rigorous, world-class academic environment. It was about proving to myself that persistence, the right programme, and genuine support can turn a long-deferred dream into reality.

UNIC stands out as a genuine pioneer in blockchain education, with a curriculum that is current, rigorous, and thoughtfully designed. The world-class faculty combine academic excellence with real-world experience, making complex subjects both accessible and immediately relevant. Studying alongside motivated students from around the world created a vibrant, intellectually diverse cohort that enriched every discussion, while the scholarship programme made this high-quality education possible when financial responsibilities were significant. I am profoundly grateful for all of these elements.

This MSc was about fulfilling a dream I had carried since childhood, to study computer science in a meaningful, structured, and respected way. Completing this degree after decades of waiting, while managing work and family, reaffirmed a simple truth: it is never too late to pursue your passion.

Today, I operate a small business in London serving the property market with integrated services across IT, energy efficiency, electrical systems, and fire safety. I remain committed to continuous learning and to bridging legacy sectors with digital innovation. I am deeply grateful to my wife and children for their unwavering encouragement, to my parents for their belief in me, and to the UNIC faculty and staff for making it possible for someone with a non-traditional path like mine not just to enrol, but to thrive.